


Poetic

by Dreamin



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 19:23:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15056060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Stephen has a question for Molly.





	Poetic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> Inspired by a prompt from afteriwake.

“I’m home,” Molly called out as she walked into her flat. The lights were on so she knew Stephen was in.

“Kitchen,” he called out.

She followed a mouth-watering smell to find her boyfriend of over a year taking two slices of “New York’s finest” pizza from a box and putting them on plates. Equally mouth-watering was how good he looked in just jeans and a t-shirt.

“Hi,” she said, grinning. “Long day?”

He looked up at her and grinned back. “Not anymore. I know our date’s not ‘til Saturday but there was a horde of giant sandworms from another dimension, I had to chase down another lead on Mordo, and Stark won’t stop with the Epic Facial Hair Bros nonsense.” He rolled his eyes. Stephen often popped in when he needed to get away from everything.

Molly giggled. “Please, you love being an Avenger. C’mon.” She poured them each a glass of wine and they sat down on the sitting room sofa with their dinner. “Was the Mordo lead a good one?”

“Undetermined,” he muttered. “There was a trace of his magic in the spot he had been seen, but there’s no way of knowing where he went.”

“You’ll find him,” she said confidently. “Or he’ll find you.”

Stephen nodded. “You’ve met Wong and all the Avengers. Promise me that if anyone else comes to you claiming I sent them, you’ll do whatever it takes to get away.”

He sounded so worried that she reached out to take his hand to reassure him. “I promise. After being Sherlock Holmes’ friend all these years, I know how to protect myself. Failing that, I know what to do if someone does kidnap me – be quiet, be aware, make them underestimate me, then wait for any opportunity to fight or flee.”

Stephen chuckled. “I should’ve known Holmes would teach you.”

“Actually, that last came from his now sister-in-law.”

“Anthea, right?”

“Yeah.” She took a bite of her pizza then sipped her wine. “And you don’t need a bad day to come see me. The portal’s always open, so to speak.”

He grinned at her. “Actually, I did have one other reason.” A thick hardcover book appeared in his hand, the cover proclaiming it a book of poetry. “I found this in a bookshop a block from the Sanctum. I know how much you love poetry, so…”

Molly squealed in delight. “Oh, Stephen, thank you!” She took the book, checked the index in the back for her favorite poem, then flipped to about halfway through the book before she started reading Matthew Arnold’s “Longing” aloud.

_Come to me in my dreams, and then_

_By day, I shall be well again!_

_For then the night will more than pay_

_The hopeless longing of the day._

The poem continued on the next page but when she turned the page, she gasped. The second stanza was there, just as she expected:

_Come, as thou cam’st a thousand times,_

_A messenger from radiant climes,_

_And smile on thy new world, and be_

_As kind to others as to me!_

But somehow, a diamond ring was hanging from the g in “messenger.” She knew the only possible explanation was magic. With suddenly trembling fingers, she pulled the ring off its tiny hook and the letter went back to being ordinary print. The ring had a round clear diamond with smaller round yellow diamonds on each side.

“Oh, Stephen,” Molly whispered, awed.

“A ring like that comes with a question, Molly,” he murmured, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. “Before you answer, I want you to seriously consider-”

“Yes,” she said quickly, cutting him off. “I know what it would mean to be the wife of Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme and an Avenger, and I’m still saying yes.”

He stared at her. “How-”

She grinned at him. “I get the feeling Wong and Pepper knew what you were planning – they came to me separately this week and told me about all the risks involved.”

Stephen rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I told them, and Pepper helped me pick out the ring. I thought I swore both of them to secrecy.”

Molly giggled. “You really expected them to keep a secret that juicy?”

“Well, at least they didn’t tell Tony.” He grinned. “You’re really saying yes?”

“Yes, Stephen,” she murmured, smiling softly. “I love you and I want to marry you.”

In reply, Stephen set their plates aside then pulled her into his lap and kissed her deeply.


End file.
